Italian Wedding Soup

       Italian wedding soup got its name from the Italian phrase "si sposono bene", meaning that two things are well married or "minestra maritata" married soup". The marriage of the greens and meat in clear broth is such a delightful combination.  The soup actually had nothing to do with weddings in Italy, but has become a very popular tradition at Italian weddings in the United States.

       Italian wedding soup is usually made with greens such as escarole or spinach; meatballs that might include chicken, turkey, pork and/or beef; and orzo in a chicken broth.  In my Italian Wedding soup I use Pork and Beef for the meatballs and escarole

       I got this recipe from Giada's show and this is one of the few soups that I make quite frequently.  It is the perfect meal to make during the winter months.

Ingredients:

* One small onion finely diced

* 1/3 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley 

* 1 egg

* 1 clove of minced garlic

* 1 tsp. of pepper

* 1/2 cup of grated cheese

* 1/2 lb of ground beef (90% or 95% lean) 

* 1/2 lb of ground pork 

* 1 slice of fresh white bread, crust trimmed and bread torn into tiny pieces

* 12 cup of chicken broth (homemade, bought, chicken base, or bullion)

* 1 lb of escarole, chopped (Wegmans has it chopped and bagged in the produce section) 

* Orzo Pasta 

Procedure: Step 1 making the meatballs

* Mix the first 9 ingredients together and roll into tiny  meatballs (slightly larger than a marble)

* place on a cookie tray and set aside.

          Procedure: Step 2 making the Italian wedding soup

* In a large pot bring the 12 cups of broth to a boil

* Add meatballs and escarole.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

* In a small pot cook Orzo pasta and add to individual bowl when serving soup (I always make the pasta separate, because if you do not then it will get too soft.

Enjoy!